"3) From what I understand, the results can vary quite a bit, but on average, how many gallons or cubic feet of FINISHED, usable compost would 30 gallons of each material produce?" \nA gallon?? Two? Im not even kidding here... \nj
Yeah it varies by process management, environment and materials used (carbon content), so estimating the amount of usable compost is a bit difficult. I would say anywhere from 50-75% shrinkage, based on how dense the materials used are, is an adequate range to expect.
Damn, literally two gallons? I should definitely be set then, lol. I was thinking 30 gallons of each wouldnt come close to being enough.
Okay. Quick question, hopefully the REAL last one. Got a bale of alfalfa and a bale of "Straw Hay" today. Already have generous amounts of Horse Manure, Weeds, and Dry Leaves. What the hell is "Straw Hay"? Every list of materials I look at, "Straw" and "Hay" are listed separately, as Brown and Green - respectively. Totally different C:N ratios. What ratio would "Straw Hay" be? If its brown (75:1), thats going to throw everything off, and I need to know what else I can add to bring the heap back down to ~30:1.
Straw is the by product of cereal grains......usually the stems and stalks after the grains have been removed. Hay is the grass and sometimes legumes or herbacious plants that have been cut, dried and stored for future use as animal fodder. I try not to get heartburn when putting my piles together by stressing about the C:N ratio. If I layer straw and alfalfa hay for instance and hydrate the hell out of it, I'll put it in a pile and insert my trusty compost thermometer. A properly prepared pile will start heating up within days. If the pile doesn't begin too heat up or heats slowly or minimally, it needs more N (greens). Add more green material and turn it in with a pitchfork, hydrate some more and stick the compost thermometer in. Give it a couple of days and the it should heat up. You want to get to at least 135`and as much as 150` and keep it there until the core temp drops. At that point, remove the thermometer, turn the pile and hydrate if necessary. Repeat this process until the pile temp drops and the material has begun to become unrecognizable. You're still going to have some recognizable material but that's okay. Protect the pile from rain to keep nutrients from leaching out. At this stage is when I add rock dusts and kelp and you can add other amendments also. Let the pile sit for 3-4 months while it further breaks down. This process is driven more by fungi and actinomycetes, whick are a fungi like bacteria. Actinomycetes are the organisms that give compost that "earthy" smell. After 3-4 months, screen your compost and anything that doesn't pass a half inch screen goes back into the next pile. I really recommend getting a compost thermometer and especially if you're committed to turning your pile/s on a regular basis. They're about 20-30 bucks on Amazon, Ebay and HD and Lowes. Sometimes they're in stock at my HD. Turning your piles on the regular is the quickest path to usable compost however your pile will eventually break down on it's own as long as its not all carbon based. And lastly, you're always welcome to ask questions so no last questions
Excellent. So basically it should be okay to add both alfalfa and the "straw hay" I got? I actually do have a compost thermometer, I got it before I even started collecting materials. So considering that, should I just add all the materials I have, mix it up, wet it down a bit, and then add whatever is necessary based on what the thermometer tells me?
Excellent! Thanks for explaining, you and everyone else that pitched in. I'll most likely have some questions later on when its time to add amendments like you mentioned, but for now I think I'm set!
Depending on the size of your heap, be sure to wet it (soak it) as you build it, and especially if you're using layers of leaves. If you don't its damn near impossible to get the middle/bottom of your heap wet and that's no good. J
Bigger the better! If you had to guess, approximately what size do you think it'll be - ie: 2'x2', 3'x3', etc? Bigger really is better...*lol* j
Yeah, I thought so, I'm just worried I won't be able to collect enough materials for a fatty heap quickly enough for all of the green materials involved to stay green (I'm afraid they'll dry out and convert to carbon before I can build the pile). But I expect this one to be right around 3'x3'x3' (to begin with). I hope so anyway. I know the L and W dimensions will get there, not sure about the height. I'm putting it together in a couple hours when the sun is all the way up, so we'll see. I would be very very happy if I could get it to 4'x4'x4'. I almost decided to do it during the night, but I decided I wouldn't want my neighbors thinking I'm a crackhead or anything lol.
Alrighty! So I got the heap put together. Ended up using 30gal Leaves 30gal Weeds 30gal Horse Manure 30gal "Straw Hay" 30gal Alfalfa I tried my best, but the layers weren't too terribly equal in thickness... I figured it shouldn't matter too much since I'm going to be mixing it up anyway, like someone said earlier in this thread. Wet each layer with a hose, then put a thin layer of ground soil from a hole I grew a bud plant last season, wet that down, stuck the thermometer in the center, now I'm just waiting. Dimensions ended up being pretty wack; 4'W x 5'L x 2'H (in the middle of the pile) I can build it up more evenly when I turn it, if need be. What do you think? Here are the pics I took so far... It's not huge but it should produce a decent amount I think, no? So what's the prognosis, experts? Look and sound like a job well done or..? Also, I can put a shade over it to protect it from excessive sun if need be.
"Can build it up more if need be" I find taller is better than longer - taller = thicker which = better heat retention. Thanks for the pics! Edit - btw, yes, looks great. Now comes the "patience" part... Lol!
Noted. Should I fix it now or should I wait until the first turn? maybe it's just due to the atmospheric temp here, but I just checked the thermometer and it's up to 90F at the moment
It's almost as fun as watching paint dry..........at least you can hang out with the GCO crew while your compost is happening You could wait or just pull the sides up and put on top....no biggie either way. You're going to get a kick out watching it heat up for sure. When it's >130`......you know the core is cooking!